How Deceitful the Heart Lies
by suspensewriter
Summary: Have you wondered why Jarod as a boy would never grow up to look like the real Jarod and why those DSAs were in black and white instead of color (with all the Centre's scientific knowledge) Well now at last the truth can be told!The conclusion
1. Chapter 1

HOW DECEITFUL THE HEART LIES.

The Pretender and the characters on the show are copyright by NBC, The Action Network, the original writers, etc. The characters I invented belong to me, even the bad ones like Walstaff. (I wish he didn't, but he does. Why I made such a loser as a character is beyond me.) Anway, now for the reason.

All of you have seen the DSAs and I am sure some of you wondered well how does a boy like that grow up to be like Jarod. Hair color is all wrong, complexion, and eye color doesn't match. Well the Centre planned it that way. They used a substitute. Oh and why with all their brilliant scientific equipment, why were the DSAs (except in the first episode) black and white? This story will give an explanation.

This is a repost of Chapter One with some revisions. Although I really hate the Parkers with the exception of Miss Parker, one of the reviewers requested more detail about their surroundings. Well I believed a description of the room in the Tower should suffice for now. Although I doubt that anyone would like to stay in it for long. The artist who painted the portrait should be shot, for instance. There is no creativity in the room, so I am writing a novel in the R section where Miss Parker does some major redecorating.

CHAPTER ONE

The:late 1960s The Centre.

The shades in the Tower were drawn. Mr. Parker, and Dr. Raines sat in luxurious black leather chairs as they faced a large screen. Well actually it wasn't a screen but an observation window magnified so many times for the object was many sub levels below. At the side of the screen window were two speakers to magnify the sound. A girl in a grey dress brought in a pot of tea, bowed silently, and left. Her employers or masters just ignored her. On the wall was an abstract Nazi typed picture of Mr. Parker Senior painted by a former Nazi artist who escaped Allied justice and joined the Centre.

Now neither Mr. Parker and Doctor Raines were Nazis. They believed all ethnic groups to be corruptible, not just one. It was just that this artist with his lack of creative ability could show the Centre denizens in the proper emotionless light that the Centre demanded.

Mr. Parker sipped his cup of tea while he and Dr. Raines watched the screen with a younger Sydney and a boy with dark brown hair, and brown eyes. The latter had his hair over his shoulders and wore a shirt and pants. As of yet, the Centre had not given him a uniform yet. This would come when he grew older. Right now, the boy was in a large bubble with electrodes hooked up to him. He looked frightened. The two observers didn't care.

"Excellent specimen," said Raines blowing smoke from his cigarette.

"I can't hear it," said Parker.

Dr. Raines turned up the sound. :"Now you can."

"Now concentrate Jarod."

"I'm trying. Yes, now I see it. The plane's about the crash. Look out, the instrument panel's froze. I can't move the controls!"

"What do you do, Jarod? You have to keep the plane from crashing. Remember there's an important diplomat on board. He has to be at the United Nations before sun up."

"I got it Sydney. I put the plane on a nose dive. That will take the ice off the wing and then I level off."

"The new Pretender is working out quite well, Dr. Raines," said Mr. Parker.

"Yes, although Sydney is too close and the boy's too curious. I fear we have a problem." Dr. Raines pressed his cigarette into the ash tray.

"What do you mean?"

"The boy's too curious. We've kept him isolated and fed that special diet. But sooner or later, he's going to wonder what he looks like."

They could already see it. The boy was trying to see his reflection in the bubble. So far, he had been unsuccessful. The Centre staff had placed it in such away as to keep it from direct light. The cameras which showed Jarod's activity since they first acquired him, had their shiny metal painted over with black paint and the lens was high enough so that unless the boy grew to be over six feet tall, he could not see his reflection.

"Look Raines," said Mr. Parker, "It is the Centre policy that none of the Pretenders see their reflections. They are Property. Things have no reflections, but I have a solution." He motioned to a figure that hid behind the curtain. "Meet Jarod's 'father'!"

"Did you loose your objective, Chairman?" Raines eyes narrowed.

The man, who stepped forward, looked nothing like Jarod. He had thinning red brown hair, and his features and that of Margaret would never produce a boy with dark hair and brown eyes. His complexion was all wrong He looked almost like Margaret's brother.

"So you're the Pretender's 'father'," said Raines with a smile.

"Actually I'm Theodore Walstaff,"

"We've been training Mr. Walstaff for years. He was an employee at our London office. Of course, you know our policy. He first entered the Centre Training School when he was six, learned all the ropes, but could not make it as a Sweeper or Cleaner, not enough heartlessness. However, he was good at mimicking. Worked at the local theatre so I thought he would be the perfect ploy," said Mr. Parker.

"What are you going to do?"

Mr. Parker turned on the intercom. "Could you send me the photographer in?"

"Right away sir."

As soon as the photographer entered, Mr. Parker had him sit down. "This is our Pretender's father, well not exactly. I want you to make him." He reached into his desk and took out an envelope containing negatives and film. "I had the Cleaners intercept these from the drug store where Charles and Margaret had them developed." He handed them to him. "I want you to put Walstaff's image in place of Charles' s and Dr., do you have an employee known for his discretion and lack of conscience?"

"Yes, Gar. He just got out of training."

"Good," said Mr. Parker, "According to information, Charles is an air force pilot. We've kept them on the run. But he's now going to suddenly be transferred."

"Where?"

"I haven't decided yet, but it's somewhere where the real Jarod's father never appeared."

Raines smiled evilly. "I hope you have all the pieces put together, Mr. Parker. I'd hate for something to go wrong." He turned to the door and motioned for a man to appear.

It was Gar, a younger version of the Sweeper. "Yes Dr. Raines?" he asked.

"I want you to find a boy, one that would look like he's a child of these two," said Mr. Parker who showed him the picture of Mr. Walstaff and Margaret. "He is to be Jarod's age and be sure that — Mr. Walstaff, when did you first start to shave or your voice changed?"

"Shave? I was twenty and my voice changed when I was nineteen."

"Rather late," commented Raines.

"That's why I chose him. When and if Jarod sees the DSAs, I want him to see an innocent and fresh faced boy working on it. I want him to remember the Centre with fondness and not with fear. And I believe Mr. Walstaff is the man who can do this and our new ' Jarod'."


	2. Chapter 2

HAPTER TWO

The photographer worked quickly as he inserted Walstaff's face in the place of Major Charles. And as he did so, the Centre Air Force contact worked with Walstaff to make him more acceptable to the military.

"Now, Mr. Walstaff, again. I want you to look at these carefully. Was the F-18 used in the Vietnam war?"

"I don't; know."

The sweepers behind looked rather threatening.

"Come on Mr. Walstaff. You have to concentrate. You're almost there."

Walstaff was nervous. He could not understand why these men wanted him to be someone else and why he had to learn to fly an airplane. Of course, they used a simulator, but Walstaff had never even flown. He also had to go into that other room, and stand behind a curtain so only his profile showed.

In another room, a boy about five was preparing his actions. "What do I do next?"

"Quiet," said the Centre teacher, "don't speak. Just mouth the words. He looked at the DSA again. It was in color. "Now mouth the words, 'I'm finished!'"

"How's it coming?" asked Mr. Parker as he walked in.

"Fine," said the teacher. "And the other boy is working splendidly, but I thought we were going to use a boy much younger. Jarod was four years old when he built the Empire State Building." He turned to see a light flashing. "Oh there's the technician."

Mr. Parker left the room and went to sublevel five where a man in a shabby lab tech coat was practically wringing out his hair.

"What is it?" asked the Chairman.

"We can't do it," he said, "try as I might, we can't restore the color."

"What do you mean, you can't restore the color?"

He picked up a small chip. "This only works on a small area and only for a few moments. "I tried it on the DSAs but this is what happens."

Mr. Parker watched the altered DSA with a boy about nine. The boy was in the bubble, mimicking Jarod's actions in trying to keep the plane from crashing simulation. The color seemed to waver, going from red to blue to green. The flesh tones were not right and the background appeared as several images rather than one.

"See?" asked the technician. "I tried everything. I put in filters, toned down the color. I even had an artist do each frame separately by hand, but that didn't work. It looked too artificial. I even had one done without the bubble, thinking the surface caused it, but that did not work."

"Look I didn't get you out of the Technical College for your health. Try again."

"We've been working on it all week; none of us are getting much sleep. Mr. Parker, I'm afraid it doesn't work. We'll have to go all in Black and White." He took out the color and inserted an identical one, identical except for just one thing. This one was in black and white. The scene was perfect.

"Good," said Mr. Parker as he left the room, "Let me know when you're ready." He avoided Sydney and went into Raines' office.

"To whom do I owe this pleasure?" asked Dr. Raines.

"Just a friendly chat for my," he whispered, "brother."

"It's a good thing we kept that fact under wraps, but Miss Parker is getting too interested in Sydney's ah, pet."

"Project. Possession, experiment. Jarod is more than a pet."

"We have to do something about it." Raines leered. "What do you propose?"

"Much as I hate this, we'll have to consult the Centre hypnotist. I take care of all contingencies. Miss Parker must believe that Jarod is a brown haired, light eyed gullible boy, not the dark eyed little hoodlum he actually is."

"How do you propose to do this?" asked Raines.

Mr. Parker smiled. "I have my ideas."

"


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER THREE

"Daddy?"

The young girl tried hard to keep up to her father, her legs were too short and his too long. He held her hand without saying a word.

"Daddy, why don't you say something?"

This had continued ever since they left the house and he told Catherine that he was taking Margo to see where he worked, but his real purpose was for Margo to see Jarod not as a dark haired, dark eyed boy but a brown haired, lighter eyed, possibly green hazel or at least a light brown that Jarod's.

Margo's world consisted of her parent's house, her parent's lodge at the lake, and the Centre. She went to school there, although she thought they drove her to the private school with the Nuns. She hated the Nuns. Something inside her, an insidious evil took hold of the child's heart. She was already too interested in boys, wanting to play doctor. The Nuns (the Centre employed Nuns) knew it was not that someone had abused her. It was like something sensual was already in the mind of this child. If they were back in the time of the Witch Hunt, they would say she was possessed, but this was the twentieth century.

They went down an elevator and got off at a door where a rather pleasant man smiled at her. "So this is Miss Parker."

"Say hello to the Doctor," said her father.

"I'm not sick."

"But you know that other pupils in your class got sick. We want to see whether you caught anything. Do you know about quarantine?"

Margo spelled out the word. "Qu-ar-an-tine. When you have the measles, they put you in bed at home so no one else can get sick. Of course, I know about it, doctor!" Her voice seemed so adult then.

"Just take off her dress and we'll look at your heart. Nurse"

Mr. Parker watched as the nurse took out a hypodermic. It contained a spray that the skin absorbed on contact. The Centre had experimented with it before, trying it out on Jarod. Of course, they gave the antidote to him immediately after the test.

Miss Parker did not feel a thing.

To make her believe this was a regular examination, the doctor used a rubber hammer to test her reflexes, shone a light into her eyes, gave her a blood test, and had the nurse look to see if anyone had hurt the little girl down below. The nurse pressed the hypodermic needle against Miss Parker's skin. She did not feel a thing.

"Well Miss Parker," he said after it was all over, "You're all right now."

"Is it going to work?" asked Mr. Parker.

"Trust me," said the doctor, "I have a video of the imposter,"

"You mean the one we got to imitate Jarod."

"Right Mr. Parker. Just put your daughter in that chair, close to the screen. Oh and put the picture of Jarod on first."

Miss Parker watched as the picture of Jarod morphed into the picture of the other boy and listened to the deep hypnotic voice. "You will meet him. This is who you will see."

"So what's going on?" asked Mr. Parker.

"The doctor is enforcing the hypnotic suggestion. Thanks to the new program that this Jarod thought up of and which we used, we are able to show what the substitute will look like at various stages of childhood. However, once he reaches adulthood, the hypno-drug will wear off."

Mr. Parker was pleased. He knew that during the times until Jarod grew up, his daughter would not see a boy with dark hair and dark eyes, but one with brown hair, an innocent face, and lighter eyes. However he was unsure of the voice. "Doctor."

"He's not finished yet," said the nurse.

"The voice patterns. How's he going to manage that?"

"Those tapes contained identical phrases spoken by Jarod and your substitute. We have made an effort for every contingency, allowed for the growth of age, and the appropriate phrases of someone growing here without outside influence."

Miss Parker did not notice anything. All she knew was the doctor talking to her, and she was in a boat rowing with her mother. Then she was back in the Centre, walking along and seeing a boy working at a desk. He seemed to be fading as in a dream and then she woke up. "I must've fallen asleep," she said.

"Yes you must have," said her father "Come along Angel."

Miss Parker smiled. "Yes Daddy."

"The doctor says you won't get the bad disease anymore."

"I won't?"

"No." He waved back and smiled at the doctor.

The doctor just nodded and waited until Mr. Parker and his daughter had left. He then called in the next patient. "Hello, I' know this is short notice, but with that epidemic, we don't want to take any chances."

"I know Doctor." The man had almost a permanent smile, he seldom frowned and he had a Belgium accent.

"Now your name is — "

When he came to America, his name was Deverte, but he decided to make it more English. He wanted to fit in. "Sydney Green."


	4. Chapter 4

Thanks for the reviews, made the appropriate changes in Chapter One.

CHAPTER FOUR

The technical room on Sublevel five was almost empty except for a lone technician who peered over a table full of chips and wires and who was busy inserting them into the back of a wooden hand mirror. "Have you finished yet?" asked Mr. Parker. "We have to get it to Sydney before too late. Jarod might die. He's the Centre's most valuable property." He didn't want to go the process of getting another Pretender, or even taking one of the in house products and training him. These latter were more dangerous.

The technician looked up at him, his face beady with sweat. "Almost there. Why not bring him into the Centre washroom and have him look at the wall mirror there?"

Mr. Parker scoffed at such a suggestion. This technician had made a fatal error although he did not know it. Centre employees had been killed for lesser offences.

"Because Jarod must not know what he looks like and besides he has to see himself in actual flesh tones. Now hurry up. He can't last much longer."

Jarod indeed was in no shape for anything, lying on the floor, shivering, almost a skeleton. "I don't exist. I don't exist."

"What about the doctor? Can't he see that the kid's starving?"

"No, all he sees is the substitute." He turned to another view of the Centre where the Centre makeup men were applying dirt to the boy's face.

It took half an hour for the mirror to be ready and the technician decided to give Mr. Parker a try. "It works by human sweat. As soon as Jarod sees 'himself' we'll have someone enter Sydney's office and remove it. The incinerator will take care of it."

"Hmm," said Mr. Parker with a smile, "I never knew I looked that young."

"Wait a minute. I'll have to adjust it for an adult."

"What do you mean?"

"It wouldn't look good, sir for you or Sydney to see the other Jarod. Here. Now if you turn it towards yourself, you'll see yourself, but if you turn it to Jarod, he'll see the other boy. It's a matter of scientific reasoning."

"We depend on your good judgment," said Mr. Parker.

"Thank you."

He waited until the technician left and turned to Gar and another sweeper. "Kill him and incinerate the remains. Also find his family and dispose of them as well."

"Yes Mr. Parker."

"Oh and place this back on Sydney's desk."

Mr. Parker smiled. He was better than Raines, better in that he was able to disguise his true nature. He had everything he wanted, the power, and the control. Jarod would belong to the Centre and until the boy was an adult, he was no threat.

However once he approached manhood, Jarod would be dangerous and not even the Neogenesis put in his food would keep him under control.

Mr. Parker had plans for the young Pretender. He would not dispose of him as the others nor put him on the work detail, repairing the lowest sublevels. He had already written a legal document giving Jarod to his daughter. Of course, he didn't know whether a more permanent arrangement between Jarod and his daughter would be permitted, but if a later Jarod, one in his teens threatened to leave, all Mr. Parker could do was to give Sydney the document and let the good doctor persuade the boy that it was best for him t remain.

He turned to the screen showing Sydney come up to Jarod with the mirror.

"Here Jarod," said the psychiatrist, showing Jarod 'his' reflection. "That's what you look like."

The boy weakly raised his head and smiled as the Centre movie technician snapped his fingers at the other boy who imitated Jarod's action and voice.


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER FIVE

The substitute worked perfectly. Miss Parker saw only a fresh faced innocent brown eyed boy, the ideal boy, the perfect boy, devoid of dark brown hair and dark brown eyes, devoid of a background dating back to the Mediterranean. The boy that Miss Parker saw was entirely Anglo Saxon, albeit hair a little darker and eyes not as light blue. But someone whose ancestry probably never approached places like Marseilles or Rome. As for places like Israel, forget it.

Actually the Centre had no idea of Jarod's background. It wasn't their policy, but they knew enough to know that the original Italians were dark haired, dark eyed, olive skinned and if some soldier came north with Caesar and married a tall German girl, and gradually their descendants got taller, they did not suddenly all become blonde haired and blue eyed.

Mr. Parker did discover a tape where Jarod and Miss Parker were too close together. On seeing it, he separated both children and placed them in the cryogenic units after the problem was taken care of, It was necessary so that his daughter's body could return to its pre pregnancy state and besides the electrodes running through the unit ensured that her body did not stagnate. Anyway he didn't want to have Jarod's brat as the next Parker. Better let someone else take care of it, and hoped it would perish. Besides the time wasn't right.

The only memory that Miss Parked had was that she was sick. She forgot entirely of the birth. When she woke up, she was very happy until her mother was supposedly shot in the elevator and then she started to change.

It took a long time to change from a happy girl into a vengeful woman, a long time in which she had numerous affairs, saved from pregnancy only because the medicine she took for her ulcer and the diaphragm she inserted every time she went out. However, all this was in the future. Right now she was a little girl saddened about her mother's death.

However there still remained Theodore Walstaff. Armed with the knowledge of Major Charles' airforce history, Walstaff became Major Charles.

He sat down in a cave in Arizona, talking to his friend. "This is my family," he said with the appropriate far away look in his eye.

"Your son?"

"Soon we'll be together." He looked away as if to cry. "I've been searching him for years." The time on the London Stage had perfected his art. If this boy Jarod was a good simulator, Walstaff was the best actor that England ever had and the best agent that the Centre had.

He drove up to his aircraft, waved to the others, and climbed up into the sky. He wasn't as good as the original. No one could out fly or out climb Major Charles, but no one knew he wasn't him.

He was about five thousand feet above, when his secret communication device buzzed.

"Walstaff come down."

It wasn't exactly words, just signals, three blinks and Walstaff had to obey, but not quite yet.

An hour later, he landed back at the airstrip, said hello to his 'friends' and walked towards his quarters where Raines was waiting for him.

"Doctor Raines."

"Walstaff you disappoint me." Then came the cigarette smoke. "You're supposed to be Major Charles, not indulge in ancient Navaho lore."

"I thought it'd give a certain fatalism to Jarod's family. You know, make him accept that he'll never find his family."

"And how do you hope to accomplish this, Mr. Walstaff?"

The former actor looked around at the two burly Sweepers standing next to Raines. This had to be good. "Well they have a hopeless fatalism here. See this?" He pointed to several objects. "A Navaho Dream Weaver, part of a prayer rug, a shaman doll. Major Charles is about to get interested in these." He smiled.

"If you think that Jarod will escape, you are mistaken."

"But I saw the results of your experiments the plane that crashed into the Atlantic with no survivors, the race car that went off the track and killed five hundred spectators, the hostages that were killed when the FBI and that tower, the man shooting and killing all those people, most of them women at that. When you brought me back last week for my indoctrination, I saw the DSAs. That boy's good. Really innocent and now he's tall."

Raines lit another cigarette. He was safe. Walstaff only saw the substitute. It was a good think that the hypnosis gas enveloped all of Blue Cove. Perhaps Mr. Walstaff would soon retain a good number just before they eliminated him.

:"Do you realize that you're not supposed to reveal this to anyone, Walstaff?"

"I know, but how long must I remain here? I miss the city."

"Oh I suppose until Major Charles is released from where he is."

"In the Centre?" Raines asked.

"He's been talking to Catherine Parker, your sister-in-law."

Raines grew closer. "What else do you know?"

Walstaff's eyes shone with greed. He knew the Centre, knew that it didn't keep promises, but he felt that he was too valuable. "Sydney Green's brother has been nosing around. I went into his office."

"When?"

"A while ago, I was disguised as one of the workers."

"That contingency has been taken care of." Raines had an evil smile."Now what did Jacob Green do?"

"Asking about the other children. I didn't know there were other children, I thought there was just this Jarod. What are you going to do about it, Dr. Raines?"

Raines ignored him and called his brother on the phone. "Mr. Parker, we have a problem."

"What is it, Raines? I'm busy?"

"Walstaff found about your wife and her connection with Jacob Green and Major Charles, the real Major Charles."

"Did he say anything?"

"Only that they were talking together."

"Well Raines, we don't; want to lose Walstaff. Tell him the truth."

"The truth?"

"That my wife is dead and so is Jacob Green, a car accident. Tell him that the children escaped, but on no circumstances are you to harm the children."

"I promise," said Raines with a malicious sneer and hung up the phone. . "But I'll be able to harm them as adults."


	6. Chapter 6

CHAPTER SIX

There were a few times in which the boy substitute for Jarod was ill. One it was the mumps, the other time, the measles. Of course, the time he substituted for Jarod building the tower, he had to have his hair darkened, and they gave him dark brown contact lenses. The only thing wrong was the boy was allergic to them. Right after saying "Where are my mom and dad?" he got ill.

However, the Centre was prepared. They got a film of Jarod when he was older, and substituted that. He looked older than the four years he was supposed to be.

But the one where he was afraid and ran was actually one of Jarod and then there were a couple in the bubble. Most however were the substitute and even so, everyone saw Jarod not as he really was but as what the hypnotist made them believe he was.

There were times when they also had to use the real Jarod in the DSAs, but they changed his voice to be that of the substitute and besides whoever saw him believed they were seeing a fresh faced lighter eyed and haired boy even though the hair was cut shot, Centre style and not the wavy hair of the substitute or Jarod2 as was his official definition.

Jarod was tall and so was the other boy. The DSAs had to be carefully screened, and the substitute put in Jarod's place for the real DSA showed the real Jarod. However, with a little touchup, a little camera substitution, a little over face, and that Jarod became the fake Jarod.

However when Jarod approached fifteen, his voice started to crack and the Centre had to be sure the substitute Jarod2 was available at all times. No more taking off time because of the flu. Immediately the Centre doctors inoculated the boy with every vaccination known to man, put him on a strict heath diet, no more coke and doughnuts, no more going to the Centre junk food dispenser and taking a bag of potato or corn chips. No more staying up all night gambling with the Sweepers.

At that time, Mr. Parker and Raines were having a private meeting in Mr. Parker's office. The door was closed, no sweepers were around, Miss Parker was learning her lessons, and there was no one to disturb them. Even the cameras were turned off and the listening devices silenced.

Raines was coughing more than usual and sat down most of the time, leaning back in the leatherback chair while Mr. Parker sat behind the desk, a gold plated pen courtesy of the present President in front of him and a set of travel brochures on Japan to his left. He flipped through them, set them aside, and then got to the subject in hand, Jarod.

"Jarod is going through adolescence. Strange as it may seem, he should've gone through it earlier at twelve. That's according to the data we received on the other Pretenders, the ones captured by my father."

"Them?"

Mr. Parker shrugged. "Why do you think we don't have to advise for new janitorial staff? Of course, to ally any questioning by outside forces, I've hired a few from outside, the kind they'd expect, low in intelligence, not Pretenders. Now as for Jarod going into puberty, so called."

"We must make sure he never enters it. I can have the doctor make sure of it. Chemical means might work, but physical means are permanent. Remember your daughter?"

"Raines, that is unacceptable. I can monitor Miss Parker and I can also set up the protective scene when I and if I want them together."

"Together?"

"A Parker with a Pretender gene, controlled by us, believing himself free and yet not."

"A female."

"No a male. The Parker line must continue through the male line. That is why the boy must have the Parker name and not that of the man Miss Parker chooses as a husband. Besides, the time'll come when we can no longer get new Pretenders. Until such a child is born, we need Jarod alive and completely whole until he dies. That is the Centre will not tolerate fixing him. Now about the voice change. It is slight because of the freezing process, but his voice is coming a little lower."

"That is why we must have Jarod2 work as long as Jarod," said Raines who was getting more interested in that project, "And I have other matters to attend to.. How long does the mass hypnosis last?"

"According to the technician, it goes as far as the environs of Blue Cove, but once out the area— why?" asked Mr. Parker.

"Just to be sure. We might have to renew it."

Mr. Parker pounded the table in his office. "No. It is too risky. The mass hypnosis stops once we have Jarod safely where he belongs in the sublevel we designated. The electrical staff has almost finished the designs."

"Very well Mr. Parker," said Raines with resentment in his voice, "Jarod2 will be at this present employment until Jarod is put below."

However, time passed and when the sweepers saw Jarod, they saw the face change, become darker, more olive skin toned, and the eyes were darker. It was gradual, and thank goodness, Miss Parker was away or she would have realized. It became time to put Jarod permanently on the lower sublevels and to permanently retire the substitute.

Dr. Raines knocked on Jarod2's door. "May I come in?"

"What's this about?" Jarod 2 put away the cigarette he had bribed from a Sweeper. The garlic and mint candy were good at disguising his breath.

"Your assignment is at an end. The other one's going below."

The substitute Jarod had no idea of what was going on. "The other boy? Now what do I do now?" he asked.

Raines smiled. "I was thinking of placing you here permanently in our Sweeper program. You'll need to learn how to handle weapons, martial arts, take weight lifting, and you'll get a generous clothing allowance, driving lessons."

"Really, when do I start?"

"Tomorrow, But for tonight, I thought I'd take you out for dinner. What kind of food do you like?"

The eighteen year old put his feet up. "Well I thought of going to MacDonalds."

"I was thinking a more elegant restaurant."

"I just want to have a cheeseburger and fries." He pouted. "I'm tired of the helicopter, having to wait until night. I'm tired of flying to the South of France with all those lawyer types. I just want a normal good old US meal like I see advertised on TV."

Raines thought for a moment. It would be a little harder to do what he intended, and needed a bit more work. "Wait here."

"Don't I always?"

Raines left the spacious room and went down to the boiler room. He called over the head janitor. "We've an infestation of bugs in Sector A. A major infestation"

Meanwhile back in his quarters, full with every luxury that he could imagine, the substitute Jarod2 put his feet up on the table and watched the whole scenario on the screen, replaying a simulation the other one had done.

He started to feel a little sleepy so went into the fridge and took out a glass if milk. He drank it slowly, and then looked in the cupboard for some food. As usual there was none. One of the sweepers usually brought it, a steak with mushrooms, bread sticks, a salad, vegetables, and pies for desert. So while the real Jarod was fed on wheat grass, asparagus, tomato juice, and other stuff mixed into a glob only suitable for animals, the substitute lived in luxury. While Jarod only wore a uniform consisting of a shirt and pants, nothing else, the substitute had a sweater, trousers, shoes, socks, underwear, and vest. While Jarod slept on a cold floor or a cot when they had to clean his cell, the substitute slept on a real bed, with a down cover, and real pillows.

However, Jarod was more valuable to the Centre, like a prize bull, he was fed, kept healthy, exercised, and he was more valuable not because there were mostly Pretender girls in the Centre and he was the rare and lone male — although others might think so and which would led still others to think of using Jarod as one used a bull to fertilize the cows — but he was the standard to which the other Pretenders had to measure up and as such his genes were valuable. Actually the Centre Pretender population was evenly matched, half were boys, and half were girls. The Centre did not want the Pretenders to deteriorate because of inbreeding. And there were the surrogate mothers mixed in with the pregnant Pretender mothers. Of course, the latter were disposed of after their pregnancy was over and their offspring given to foster parents. The Centre did not want anyone to know the Pretender females carried four instead of one or two, and so two or three of the embryos went into a surrogate mother.

However this was unknown to the innocent tall boy with the lighter brown hair and lighter eyes than Jarod, and would be still unknown as the boy's eyes were wide open in fear. He was coughing, his eyes were watering, and he felt his throat constrict as the gas gradually entered the room.

"Shit!" He tried to make it to the door, but it was locked. The gas wafted in with that smell associated with pest controls. It was poisonous, it was deadly, and no matter how much he tried to scream, Jarod2 could do that no longer.

Finally, all motion stopped, the body lay on the ground between the door and the luxurious table filled with all the goods a teenage boy would have. Now only things remained while the only human subject had gone from life to eternity.


	7. Chapter 7

CHAPTER SEVEN

Unaware of Jarod2's death, the fake Major Charles went on pretending to be the real one, changing the true nature of Major Charles to one who believed in spiritualism, sending fake information to the Centre which in turn made sure that these little bits of morsels were picked up by that traitor who was sending messages to who knows where.

At least the Centre was ahead of him or her. The few FBI agents who turned up to investigate some evil goings on got the sanitized tour, and the few social workers who wanted to know if the Centre knew anything about missing kids got the usual smiles and promises of donations.

Meanwhile what about the real Jarod? Now supposedly eighteen, he was permanently down in the sublevel, whether it was twenty-one or twenty-six; twenty-two or twenty-five, twenty-three or twenty-four, he had no idea. He thought his life was pleasant, because he knew of no other. Sydney, the perfect trainer and the perfect protector, kept him satisfied with various simulations and his own prejudices.

The films shown to Jarod were usually of the Civil Right's Movement, the Black struggle in America. Jarod knew little about Sydney's past in the concentration camps and the medical experiments. Thus a slave himself, Jarod was taught to think that he was not in bondage, that what he did was his choice. He was taught a lie.

The DSAs of his childhood and youth were carefully stored away. The record of his existence was put down besides so many pieces of furniture, an aquarium with piranhas, seventeen watchdogs of the vicious Pit Bull type, a picture of Mr. Parker and Mrs. Parker, He was now officially an asset of the Centre, an acquisition obtained sometime in the nineteen sixties.

He never saw Miss Parker or if he did, the Renewal Wing wiped away the encounter and did the same to Miss Parker. Not that it would have done any good to remember. The biology books he was allowed to read told nothing of the physical relationship between husband and wife. Jarod got pictures of flowers and trees, of mother rabbits alone, mother rabbits and daddy rabbits, and then mother, daddy, and baby rabbits. He knew how the sperm enter the egg, but not the process. If someone had told him that a giant rabbit flew through the sky and landed the baby rabbits at mother rabbit's feet, he would have believed that. To the Centre, everything was scientific, devoid of love and emotions. You did not marry and have families, you took your DNA — a life of loneliness and prolonged childhood.

The Centre was wise to capture him. Someone like him was rare and they valued him as a prize dog, for in their estimation, that is what he was.

The new DSAs were in color. There was no need for alterations. Jarod wasn't going anywhere.

However, Theodore Walstaff was. As a supposed Air force Major, he entered a world of military secrets and flights over areas where men still fought with sabers, and women hid behind veils. Experience had taught him how to maneuver an airplane, to land it silently, to know when to attack and when to not.

And there were so many Majors in the Air force and so many transfers. The lines between the real Major Charles and the fake one became blurred so even the Centre knew not who was which.

Only when they landed back in the states, did the lines become separated once more.

Theodore was in Arizona again, back in his home base, making fake attempts to locate his son while the real Major Charles was keeping one step ahead of the Centre, having no hope from Catherine Parker who was no more. He sent the Centre periodic photographs of himself which they put in the Centre records. The Centre technicians then made sure that someone found a particular photograph so someone could later say, "This is a photo of Jarod's father."

When Jarod was thirty, the call came from the Centre to Mr. Walstaff. "I believe it's time for your retirement."

"Retirement?" Walstaff gulped. Retirement from the Centre meant a death sentence.

Mr. Parker smiled. "Retirement from the Air force. You are going to take a more active interest in ah 'trying to find ' your son. The real Major has already retired, and separated from his wife and daughter. I have the location of where he is. Go to your APO box. There will be a package. Open it, but only after your retirement."

"What's in it?"

"What did the Centre tell you about questioning our directions?"

"Permanent retirement, sir."

"Good Mr. Walstaff. Remember, there is a timer in the package, not a bomb, and the Centre has made advances in electronic equipment."

They wished him good luck in returning to civilian life. He got a hug from his Indian friends. He then opened the package and smiled. It contained all the information on where the real Major Charles was likely to be and all he had to do was to mimic his steps.

It would work as long as Jarod did not escape, but then things went wrong. The Pretender ran away.


	8. Chapter 8

Answer to the questions. Yes Michelle, she had a child at eleven, but her memories were wiped away. I forgot to explain why Jarod's voice cracked at fifteen, when it was obvious it was done earlier. It's just that seeing Jarod and Miss Parker looking at Faith's body in the episode "at The Hour of our deaths" — he was quite tall then and she hadn't grown much. His voice should have been older at that time. This chapter will explain it and how the Centre didn't know how Jarod stole the DSAs and the DSA machine.

CHAPTER EIGHT

The escape of Jarod was the worse thing that had happened to the Centre ever since the other eight Pretenders had disappeared. Of course, Raines had tracked them down, and had them killed. They died having checkups in hospitals, of a cold, of something that never should have happened except for the Centre research.

Manipulating the DNA structure of a cold cell could turn it deadly. Injecting a serum into a drink could kill a man. A checkup for a physical examination, taking a drink of water —the liquid inserted was deadly although colorless — that was all it took.

Jarod had stolen most of the DSAs except for one which they found hidden in the tech room and of course, the ones that Raines had in his office..

"What is it Raines?" asked Mr. Parker.

It was an unaltered DSA of Jarod at the age of ten. The boy was talking to Sydney and his voice sounded so unlike a kid. They listened with shock. Jarod was no longer a kid at ten. He was physically an adult, although he still had the boyish expression of that age.

"There are boys at twelve who already can have children," said Mr. Parker, "Their voices are husky. Turn up the sound."

"What's wrong with me Sydney? I have been inoculated against any foreign diseases, I take the nutritional supplement daily, I exercise well. And if I had a cold, you'd have one as well."

"It's known as going through puberty, Jarod."

"Why Sydney?"

The DSA showed Sydney's voice show concern. "Listen Jarod, your voice is changing. You mustn't let anyone know."

Now Jarod's face showed fright. "What does that mean?"

They turned the volume up higher and listened to Jarod's handler talk in a soft voice. "Trust me. You must keep your voice as it was before it broke. When you feel it happening, keep quiet. Otherwise, talk at a higher pitch."

"Okay Sydney."

The DSAs showed Sydney putting Jarod in his cell. It then showed Sydney talking to the hidden microphone. "I cannot tell Jarod that once his voice fully changes, the Centre will put him in Sublevel 20 or below. Right now, the Centre knows if Jarod refuses to do a simulation, they will say he's being obstinate because he's still young and excuse that, but if he's below, if he refuses, they'll kill him." They then saw him taking down some notes. After that the DSA went fuzzy.

"That was the time of the power failure in the general area. The DSA should have been longer. It only affected Blue Cove. Luckily the emergency power switched on, but we had to use regular film," said Raines.

"It appeared that Jarod fooled us all," said Mr. Parker. "We should have put him in the lowest sublevel before. Who knows who he was with. It's a good thing I ordered Sydney to keep him away from girls, and especially Miss Parker who had her menses at quite young."

"She had a child at eleven Unusual. Thanks to the special diet."

Mr. Parker immediately called for the technicians to come to the main office. He glared at them while they cowered. "What is the meaning of this? I wanted all DSAs to be altered."

"I'm sorry Mr. Parker, but this DSA was found later.

"We had to use regular 8 mm film at that time."

"Yes that was around the time that Mrs. Parker started to snoop around about those children. I want to see an unaltered DSA around that time."

The technician shook his head. "They've all been altered."

"What?" Mr. Parker's face grew cold.

"And Jarod has them."

"How?"

"I don't know."

They couldn't get anything more out of the technicians and so Mr. Parker and Raines went up into the Tower. Mr. Parker ordered that a through search of the grounds and also any open vents. They couldn't close them without endangering the life of the remaining Pretenders who were the children that Catherine Parker was unable to rescue.

Already, Jarod's supposed bank account was frozen —not that he would be able to use it for it was under the name of Jarod Russell and that was not his last name, not even that of his father. The Centre had made a bank account just in case the CIA or FBI or the local police started to snoop. They did it for all their Pretenders, make them think they owned something.

They also opened up Jarod2's luxurious room and recalled Miss Parker from Corporate, putting her in the field. The effects of showing Miss Parker the room and having Sydney lie that Jarod worked there, was as they wished. Thinking that Jarod was an ungrateful brat for leaving all this luxury, she was more than determined to bring him in, 'Dead or Live."

But they still couldn't explain Jarod's voice. Raines questioned Sydney whose excuse was, "Jarod was simulating to be an older youth. That was part of the exercise."

"Why Sydney?"

"To understand why children wish to act older."

They then showed him the DSA.

Sydney paled. "That's not Jarod."

"But that's his voice." Raines realized that he had made a mistake. He had shown Sydney the real Jarod and since the hypnotic gas had long since left the Centre air vents, the unaltered DSA showed the truth, not the fake. The evil doctor had to do something.

Taking a syringe from his pocket, he stabbed Sydney in the arm and with the help of two sweepers, took him to the Renewal Wing. He also called Mr. Parker, but not before giving the DSA to a sweeper. "Destroy this." And then he said to Willie. "Go to the Renewal office, plant a bomb there, set it to go when the doctor's on his break. If there's anyone there, it'll be collateral damages After that, kill the other sweeper."

"I will gladly." Willie then left.

"What's this about?" asked Mr. Parker.

"We all have to forget there was this DSA of Jarod. I also called the technicians who worked on and everyone had a making of this DSA."

Mr. Parker looked to see several men and women sitting on the benches. "I thought that the hypnotic drug was destroyed."

"This is a new version. It will wipe out the hour before and after the blackout. We of course will have to alter our calendars."

"But what of the rest of the Centre and their spouses?" asked Mr. Pariker.

"The doctor in the Renewal wing will take care of everything. I decided that Blue Cove went through an epidemic at that time. There's enough f left for two major hypnosis."

A few minutes later, Willie appeared. "I'm ready Dr. Raines. The other sweeper's been eliminated."

"And did you plant the bomb in the doctor's office?"

"Yes It will go off when he takes his breath."

"Good, and then we will not know anything about this incident."

A few hours later, a renewed Mr. Parker, Raines, Sydney, Willie, and the others left the Renewal Wing. All evidence of the DSA showing that Jarod had already gone past puberty at the supposed age of ten was destroyed, both in the minds and in the mechanics of the Centre. And a new memory of that time, of an epidemic that rocked the Centre and Blue Cove became the new reality.

However because of this, they forgot how Jarod smuggled the DSAs and the case out of the Centre, and how he escaped and that they would never know.


	9. Chapter 9

CHAPTER NINE

Years before, Catherine Parker with the help of Jacob Green had helped the most important Pretender children escape. True, there were others, but they had been created in the Centre and were not dependable. The Centre had found out that the desire for returning to ones' parents and then the despair and resignation made the Pretenders work better and accept their fate

Those who never knew that there might be someone out there had nothing to lose so they botched the simulations, lied about results, and since they knew the hiding places, were quite good at avoiding punishment. The Centre had to train at least one hundred new Sweepers to keep the born Pretenders in line.

And then there were the ones created through Jarod. The evil bald headed man had arranged with the Triumvirate to have some shipped out to Africa, but Mr. Parker had stopped him. "If we do not find Jarod, we will have to train one of them."

"And how do you know that he is their donor?" Raines asked.

"Because when Jarod was to give a sample because of that epidemic we faked, I was with the doctors who inserted the sample into the recipients."

"I couldn't use them because you insisted that no drugs should be tested on them."

This had made Raines angry, but hearing about the deaths of most of the former escapes, had pleased him. He checked the list. There were a couple that remained, but pretty soon when they went in a hospital or a clinic, they would die.

It was ironic that those Catherine had stolen from the Centre had died of a variation of a disease that wiped out thousands back in the early twentieth century. It was also ironic that traces of this variant left the body immediately after death and that its effects mimicked ordinary colds and mild diseases that just left ordinary people with a slight fever. But the Pretenders were not ordinary. The Centre had done tests to find out how to find and kill them. It had also placed its doctors and nurses, one to each clinic and hospital around the United States. No matter how far the kids had escaped, they would soon die.

And to make matters worse, Raines knew where the kids were all along. He just had bided his time until they were adults so the Centre would not be held to blame and now he had succeeded.

Life was sure getting pleasant for him as he sat in his black chair, enjoying one of those rare moments of peace, watched down by the stark picture of his grandfather and grandmother on their wedding day. Raines had wished he had gotten the later paintings that hung in the chairman's office. Still he could see the cold calculating and superior look and the room echoed Lamech's cold and sterile vision. And he knew that across the aisle was the office designated for Miss Parker when she got Jarod.

Unfortunately he learned that she was going to leave as soon as she brought the Pretender in. _Well,_ Raines smiled, _the more opportunity for me to torture him_.

He adjusted the controls in his Oxygen Tank and spoke into the intercom. "Don, as soon as Willie arrives, I want to see him right away."

"Yes sir," With that the connection shut off.

Raines hated using Don. That 'employee' showed so much disdain for him, and Raines suspected that Don had altered the controls so he got less oxygen, but he couldn't prove it. Don was too clever. Well that's what came from using one of those in house Pretenders. At least, Don was good at spying on Centre visitors, making them feel at ease, and pretending to be a visitor himself. That was the reason he was here in the Tower and still alive.

There were other things to do. Jarod's brother Kyle had escaped and there were reports that Jarod was either going to or on the farm of that former nun. With that, Raines smiled.

Willie soon arrived. "Did you send for me?"

"Yes. Don, close the door and stop snooping."

"Right sir." The door shut very slowly.

"We have Jarod."

"When do we bring him in?"

"Not yet. We're waiting for the okay from the Chairman. It's going to be a cooperative effort. Meanwhile Kyle has escaped and Jarod's found out about Catherine and Margaret's friend."

"What Miss Parker doesn't know? We could have had Jarod here all the time."

"But we have to make him believe that his father does not look like Major Charles. He still isn't convinced. Do you have the photograph?"

Willie produced it.

"Excellent. Now I heard that there's this idiot working at Harriet's farm, the nun whom Kyle had threatened, I want you to take Otto, he's the new Centre hypnosis and persuader, and this." He opened his drawer and took out a small canister. "The gas."

"The gas?"

"I lied about destroying all of it. Find that country bumpkin and use it to convince the retard that he saw this man," he showed him the photograph of Theodore Walstaff, "instead of him." He then showed the photograph of Major Charles.

"I will do it and gladly."

Raines then waited until Willie left and then asked Don to connect to the Chairman's office.

"There's no answer, sir."

"See if he left a message."

"I will sir."

For a while there was silence and then the chairman's voice mail came on. "This is Mr. Parker. I am taking an early lunch. Please do not contact me until I get back." It then disconnected.

Raines fumed. It was these early lunches or late lunches or business conferences that kept him from catching the Pretender. He needed Mr. Parker's approval, not like what Miss Parker had, the full authorization. But, he smiled slightly at this, with Jarod's spawn already being ready, there was no need for Jarod to be alive — unless the Pretender begged him for mercy and allowed himself to be taken — now Raines determined that if Jarod ran, instead of a bullet in his leg or his shoulder, the bullet would be in his back.


	10. Chapter 10

CHAPTER TEN

Raines felt as if his back was on fire. He had attempted to kill Jarod, but someone had shot his Oxygen tank. He didn't know who had done this, and why, but it was something to do with the Pretender.

Right now he was in the Centre infirmary getting the first of his skin grafts. Thanks to Centre science, there was no need to take them from parts of his body. They grew the grafts using stem cells and even though the Centre was completely evil and preferred embryonic stem cells because they only valued human life if it profited them, they had to use adult stem cells instead. This was a great disappointment for a Cabal who went out of its way to ruin families and separate children from their parents.

"So those spawn are going to grow," Raines fumed.

"I'm afraid so, sir. Some people don't deserve children."

"Well thanks to the Centre, we've secretly sterilized several men and women, and also stopped the birth of at least twenty undesirables. I am right now in the process of creating a birth control patch that will be disguised as a nicotine patch and so far I plan to introduce it in Kentucky and Tennessee. They marry young there."

"Good sir, I can't stand those hillbillies either."

"So how long before I'm mobile?"

"The skin grafts are getting along nicely," said the nurse, her face impassive and cold. She was the perfect Centre employee.

Through the viewing mirror, Raines could see his brother, Mr. Parker give a signal to the nurse who left.

"I'm sorry that I can't stay long," said Mr. Parker, "but our cameras recorded the encounter between you and Jarod. I particularly loved his plea."

"What is the point?"

Mr. Parker bent down. "It's about Jarod. I found out that you shot to kill. I would caution you against that procedure."

"And why not? We have enough assets for replacements. Jarod's DNA is in several containers."

"Jarod's sperm is frozen in only four containers, and we have only enough for one year."

"But what of the others?"

"You mean Ed's and those of the children who Catherine rescued and who you hunted down and killed against my advice?"

"Those."

"We have requests from our satellites in the United States, England, Canada, and Mexico that they will not accept any Pretenders unless they are from Jarod's DNA."

"So we give them Jarod clones." Raines coughed.

"No. We created Pretenders using Jarod and Pretender female donors via the test tube method. We didn't use surrogate mothers. I believe that it's best to ship in the original containers."

"I hope the recipients disposed of the container after the birth of the subject." Raines started to snicker at this point, but Mr. Parker moved his face in that peculiar manner of his which made one think he had some secret perversion in his soul. He then gave Raines his sternest look.

"The spawn need breast milk and besides there is a lack of cleaning staff in some of the Satellites, especially the one in Nebraska. I also want you to squash that rumor that going to Nebraska is synonymous to getting sent to Siberia. We've have had so many escapes from there. In fact, one of the Pretenders showed up in our main lobby last week, saying he'd rather die or get tortured than do sims in Nebraska." He paused. "I managed to have him shipped off to Nevada. Now we have reports that someone is gambling Centre funds. It appears that our staff is using this Pretender to make a little extra money on the side."

Raines hated this when Centre staff used Pretenders for their own purposes. He agreed that perhaps the Centre satellites were a little too lenient, but in Nevada, much of the underground facilities were also being used by the U.S. in case of a nuclear attack. It was the same in Montana, and New Mexico.

"I can get a missive out to the satellites."

Mr. Parker left for the door. "We can fulfill the order to London. The boy's five years old now. He hasn't seen the outside and we've decided to ship a daughter of Alex and another female Pretender along with him, the same age. Griffiths will be their handler and will keep them separate until they reach puberty." He said in a half whisper. "And then London can start on their Pretender production program."

"Didn't Ed have spawn here as well?"

"We shipped two of them, along with their appropriate companions, to our Centre quarter in Dublin and in Belfast. For some reason, I found out that they were like Jarod in that pretending didn't have to be learned nor was it necessary to simulate that part of their brain." He glanced at his watch. "I have to be at my appointment in half an hour."

Raines didn't like this. "Does this mean that all the not so good Pretenders were only pretending to not be as good as Jarod?"

"You can think what you like, but remember Raines, Jarod is not to be killed," The door then closed leaving Raines alone with the nurse.

Raines listened and then thought to himself, _Well my son will not listen to you Mr. Parker. You are a weakling_. He then waited until the nurse put some salve in his raw back. _If I were in charge of the Centre instead of you, my brother_, he thought, _Jarod would either come back in chains or in a body bag. Then it would be either chained in the sim lab instead of being allowed to roam free or be thrownr in the incinerator, preferably alive_. His face darkened with an evil leer in spite of the intense pain.


	11. Chapter 11

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Jarod had been on the run for almost four years. So far the Centre had kept him ignorant of what his real father looked like. They had failed with his mother, although Miss Parker had burned the information about her.

But Jarod thought that Theodore Walstaff was his father. The Pretender had gone to Arizona, learned the fake Native American view that Walstaff had portrayed, even fell for that yarn that Major Charles had saved his life, and that he was a decent man.

Well actually the real Major Charles was a good man, and as an Air Force Major had done some heroic things, but he never carved airplanes. He was too busy running to do much carving of anything. Besides he was more action. He did work on a model airplane once for surveillance and once a private airplane company asked for his input in designing a protective system so that their wealthy clients wouldn't get kicked out by terrorists during long flights.

Anyway, the Centre learned that the real Major Charles had a friend who now worked in an Arctic station and they sent a plane to take Walstaff to a Centre safe house. It was up north, which was understandable with all the snow on the ground when they finally landed.. A snowmobile loaded with two men, a nurse, and a very pregnant Eskimo lady got on the plane, and the pilot took off with all but one of the men, red faced with a broken nose, left Theodore waiting besides the snowmobile. The pilot had told Theodore that it was close to an arctic station where Major Charles' friend worked along with "a doctor who worked on the Pretender Project."

"Get in," said the other man.

"What?"

"You're sure not dressed for this weather. You Jarod2 right?"

"Yes, but my real names' ..."

"No talking. Put this around you." He threw him a Hudson Bay Blanket and they drove towards a Quonset hut at the edge of the settlement.

They entered and Walstaff saw that it looked almost like a laboratory, or rather an inside movie studio. There were spot lights, cameras, and a blue screen against one wall. It was quite warm inside, fueled by a portable generator and several electric heaters. Walstaff made sure to avoid them. On a table was a desk style Day timer as well as a pen and pencil set in a yellow marble container with a bronze inscription that said, "CNE 1966." It looked quite heavy.

The man with the broken nose went over to a panel, pressed a button, and it slid open. Inside was a rack of suits, jackets, jeans, and trousers all Walstaff's size. In one corner was a heavy winter jacket with a fur collar.

"All right Walstaff," he said, handing him an Air Force uniform. "Put these on," he ordered and snapped his fingers. A girl appeared along with a tray of makeup

"What's this about?" he asked while the girl applied some pancake makeup to his face and smoothed out his wrinkles.

The heavy turned on a projector which showed a picture of the real Major Charles talking to his friend. He was younger at the time. "I want you to imitate him."

"Why wasn't I told of these before?"

"Because the Centre just acquired these recently. The Air Force was doing a promotion at that time. Major Charles requested that his appearance be kept a secret, for obvious reasons However, the Centre has their fingers everywhere." He took out a camcorder and recorded Walstaff's imitation. "Now I'll turn up the sound. Can you imitate Major Charles;' voice? Mr. Parker has to get it correct. You're a little slower on the intake according to, well they don't count, but Mr. Parker doesn't want to take any chances."

"I thought Mr. Parker would be here or at least Mr. Raines."

"Mr. Parker and Mr. Raines are occupied at the moment and I haven't much time." He looked at his wrist watch. "We have another set to make."

An hour later, Broken Nose told Walstaff to dress in heavy winter wear. "We haven't much time. According to our sources, the real Major Charles already connected with his friend and we have to make his friend believe that you are the real Major Charles."

"But how are you going to do that?" asked Walstaff as he put on his new outfit.

'We sprayed the Station with the hypno gas, but it'll only last so long. Mr. Raines believes that Jarod is heading that way."

It took only half an hour for Walstaff to go through the actions. "So what's now?"

"You can wait until I leave and then head back to Arizona: He pointed out a closet. "Oh there's a change of clothes inside there and you might have to wait a bit." Leaving Walstaff alone, he went to a dresser drawer and pulled out a pair of heavy socks, long johns, and a jacket with a fur hood. "These are about your size. The Centre is always prepared. We had someone here a year ago, came from the Centre Satellite in Australia."

"Right." Theodore opened the Day Timer, looking for any blank pages. It contained the usual dates and times, but on the back of one page was a local map and an X ran through it. His eyes light up. So this is where that real Major Charles was heading.

Walstaff didn't want to wait. If he could get Major Charles and the Pretender, Jarod, in one swoop, he'd be set for life. However, he didn't want to risk it, if the price was not high enough. .

While they were heading for the Centre Quonset hut, Theodore had noticed the few men and women who braved the outside. Most of the people around had brown faces, and coarse dark hair, and looked a bit like Eskimos. In fact most of them were Inuit. And looking up in the sky, he could see the Aurora Borealis, the Northern Lights.

"How much reward is there if one captures this Jarod?" he asked as he got back into his street clothes.

"Why do you want to know?"

"Well neither of them have seen me and I'm quite an actor."

"Listen mate." The Centre henchman's voice became low and threatening. "Jarod's not only a genius, but he can become anyone he chooses to be."

"I thought I'd ask."

"Well forget it and leave it to professionals like Miss Parker. She and Sydney's been studying the Pretender long enough. Why if it weren't for some bad luck, he'd be in their clutches long ago. Now go and get ready, I'll turn off the li..."

He didn't finish, for when his back was turned, Walstaff hit him with a heavy base of the marble pen set.


	12. Chapter 12

I happen to like Jarod and will keep writing about him so that the title of this group will be what it was intended to be A PretendersHaven.

CHAPTER TWELVE

Walstaff stood for a moment, and then bundling himself up, ran outside. The wind was picking up, and the local population was rushing inside, but he didn't care.

He had the location of the Station in his gloved hands and he shoved it into his pocket. Thankfully the Snowmobile still had enough gas to get there and back. When he returned, he would have Jarod with him and perhaps a cushy position in the Centre, perhaps the Tower.

He deserved it for what he went through.

There was a short wave radio in the Snowmobile as well as a radio phone. He turned on the former and twisted the dial until he got the local station. It called for blizzard conditions. The citizens were advised to stay inside. It repeated the same information in Inuit and French.

However when he estimated the speed of the wind —learning about flying sure paid off. You found out about weather conditions and patterns —it would take an hour to get to the Station and an hour to get back, plenty of time before the full storm hit. That left him about twenty minutes to get Jarod.

And then he started thinking. Did the Centre man send in the video to their inside men at the Station? He ran back inside. The body had not moved which was good. He had killed him. Walstaff checked the communications centre and found that indeed it had worked. Whoever was there would believe he was actually Jarod's father.

He changed his plans. Once he got there, he would hug Jarod and get him outside. Once outside, a sharp blow to the Pretender's head and a call to the Centre and his position would be assured.

He put on a ski mask, reattached his hood, ran outside, and started the Snowmobile. Someone yelled at him, "Don't be a fool!" but Walstaff ignored him and ten minutes later was out in the tundra.

Since the Snowmobile had a locator, he didn't have to worry about getting off course. What had to worry about was running into some Polar Bears or going over a thin bit of ice that covered a lake.

He had the number of the Centre in his pocket and wondered if the radio phone could contact them. He made the necessary connections and was soon talking with Mr. Lyle.

"So you're Walstaff," said Lyle in his unassuming voice that fooled many. "Did you complete your assignment?"

"Yes. I just had to get my picture taken, got sent up here. Now how long is this going on?"

"Where is Lux?"

"Lux?" That must mean the Centre employee up here? I have to think fast. "Lux is busy fixing up loose ends. He's checking to see if the Station received the communiqué."

There was silence and then Raines got on the phone. "Excellent Walstaff. That's what I expected Lux to do. Now we suspect that Jarod will get in touch with his father. . Here are the directions."

Walstaff listened to them and learned that he was to go to a small motel near where Osbourne's daughter ran a flight school. Jarod would no doubt go in there for a cup of coffee. He was to join the Pretender, make with the father and son routine and when he got him outside, the Centre sweepers would descend.

Meanwhile they would take care of the real Major Charles.

However Walstaff didn't like the idea of sharing his capture of Jarod with anybody. He turned off the radio phone and continued his journey towards the Station.

He used the top button on his jacket and looked around at the scenery, what there was of it: white, white, and more white and it wasn't getting any better.

The blizzard engulfed him five minutes later. He wiped his face but couldn't see a thing in front of his eyes, not even the indicator, but he knew he was almost there. He also felt as if his face was numb.

He checked his watch, he still had five minutes before he got to the Station. So far everything was fine, but he was getting a little tired. He pulled the blanket closer around his body.

Suddenly the blades of the snowmobile ran into something. Walstaff turned off the motor, and got out. The blades had dug into a snow bank. He got out the shovel and started to dig around, but it was no use. The bank was of solid ice. Disgusted, the actor wrapped an extra scarf around his neck, put on some extra gloves and started towards the Station

But as he walked towards it, his feet started to bog down. He should've used snowshoes like the natives up here did, and that Station seemed to get farther and farther away. He checked the watch again.

"What?" he explained. The watch had stopped. And then he remembered. In his haste to get to the assignment, he had picked out his regular watch, not the moisture resistance chorographic one designed for Arctic Temperatures. Already he started to feel sleepy.

_Just a little way longer. A few more steps. The snow's blinding my eyes. My boots are feeling heavy_.

He couldn't keep his eyes open. He walked mainly on instinct. The footprints in the snow seemed rather familiar. _I wonder who that is. Maybe if I talk to him, I can..._

And that was all.


	13. Chapter 13

I happen to like Jarod and will keep writing about him so that the title of this group will be what it was intended to be A PretendersHaven.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

As Captain Osbourne lay dying he had slipped something into Jarod's pocket and then he died.

With the explosion that rocked the station, Jarod barely had time to read the note as he traveled back down south. It explained that the Circle of Fire was a code used by the Major and his men during a mission when they were younger and that someone pretending to be Major Charles made others believe it had something to do with Celtic mythology and Indian lore. The paper also contained a photograph of the real Major Charles and the words, "give the ring to my daughter. Only if the Major asks about it, must you tell him, the mission is over."

That picture that he thought was his father was a lie, a Centre lie. They had failed to substitute another photo for that of his mother, but they had succeeded with his father. As Jarod ripped up the pieces of Walstaff's photo up, he wondered whether he was really the boy in the DSAs, but who else could he be? And why was his hair lighter down in the Centre. When he almost died during that plane crash, when he saw the figure of Faith, his hair had that auburn tint it got when he was out in the sun.

But there was no sun in the Centre, but perhaps it had to do with the special fluorescent light, he didn't look pale and even looking at his own skin then, it was not pale. Perhaps they had sun lamps down there. However, that was not important, he had to find out more about his father and about the Captain's last words.

He passed an abandoned snowmobile on the way back and further along what looked like a lump. The driver said,:"Some poor soul," radioed the Search and Rescue Unit, gave the location, and then they went on their way.

When Jarod got to the settlement, he found the RCMP constable and one of the Native police cordoning off a Quonset Hut and shooing the population away. He didn't want to bring any attention to himself — after all The Centre probably had some of its goons around —so he asked the driver to tell him what happened.

"Another death. We have almost six months of darkness here. Someone's bound to go off his rocker." He shrugged his shoulder. "Anyway whoever did this is probably dead by now."

Jarod remembered that abandoned snowmobile and the lump did look a bit like a body. Crime sure didn't pay up here.

The airport was cleared and planes were taking off. Not wanting to risk it by getting on a commuter plane, Jarod had flown in on a private plane courtesy of the Centre funds, and returned to Toronto where he left it at the airport to see the sights. .

He checked the Toronto Star, but saw no articles mentioning anyone needing help. Besides, he had no desire to do a Pretend then. He wanted to find his father, to have a real family, to be rid of The Centre and for some reason, he kept thinking of Miss Parker. He tried not to, but she was always on his mind. Her face was there when he dreamed. Maybe he could persuade her to leave The Centre and they could live someplace, and then there was another thought that entered his mind. What if she pointed a loaded gun at him and gave him another ultimatum, to live with her in Blue Cove but not in The Centre. Would he exchange one captivity for another?

But that was not his problem. His problem was getting adequate transportation. He got a ride on a bus and avoided customs by skipping off once over the border. He then made a quick call to the United States Air force. The Colonel agreed to see him.

"What does 'the mission is over' signify?" he asked, giving the man the description of the Captain and how he died.

"Back in 1970, the Air force asked for volunteers to fly over a section of Vietnam where the Viet Cong were planning to further disrupt communications, but we had a spy in our ranks. That was the reason for those rings. In them is a communications device. When the mission was completed or one survivor remained, the dying man was to give him a message."

"The Mission is over," said Jarod.

"We believe that spy is still here in the United States and if he were to know that there was one survivor, he would be after him."

"So he believes there are no survivors."

"The survivor has the remaining ring. Don't ask him about it, don't mention it."

"I will do that."


	14. Chapter 14

To Gloria. The reason I mentioned Kentucky was to show how evil The Centre was. I could have mentioned that they were sterilizing African Americans, but Willie being an African American prevented that. Don't be too uptight. Do you think The Centre was all good and benevolent? Of course, they'd have it for people who they considered beneath them. By the way, I also mentioned Nebraska as a place that not even the Pretenders who were prisoners wanted to stay at. They ran away back to The Centre. No one complained about that. And I mentioned Las Vegas and the Centre staff there getting their Pretender to gamble. Gambling – taking money out of your family, the ones you have to pay bills with, remember? No one complained. You have to read the story in context. This political correctness is getting out of hand. Now you're not supposed to write to show that a certain organization is so bad that it doesn't care about people in a certain state. Political correctness means fear. Lecture over.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

The incinerator at the Centre was working overtime. Not only that, but the Centre in London, England were also hard at work disposing of the information about Walstaff. He like that boy Jarod2 was now a non person. All evidence of their existence and also of their families had been wiped out.

Jarod2 was no problem. His family had lived in a trailer down in South Carolina, and after they had recruited Jarod2, The Centre had sent some sweepers down to kill them. No one missed them, nor did anyone miss the records at the local courthouse pertaining to their existence. The Centre destroyed them too. Since Jarod2's family were poor white trash, there was no recollection they ever existed.

However getting rid of Walstaff's relations and kin was another deal. First they had to find the right Walstaff and not kill some other family with the same name. Second, they had to locate all the Walstaffs related to Theodore, no matter who they were plus their friends and acquaintances. It would do no good for someone who worked at the Stage to suddenly show up and say, "I remember Theodore, he played Hamlet Act IV SceneV."

They had to be destroyed as well.

The Centre made sure to get rid of all of Theodore's acquaintances and employers, including those of the London Centre branch. An underground explosion took care of them. Poison took Theodore's stage manager, a car accident another, a natural death one more and so The Centre continued until not only was Theodore Walstaff's name not known by his relatives or acquaintances, there were no relatives or acquaintances who knew that there was a second rate actor called Theodore Walstaff.

It took an epidemic conceived by The Centre to wipe out the village where Walstaff grew up, an epidemic thought about by Jarod years ago — although he had no idea of its purpose. He believed they wanted him to create a disease that would cancel out the effects of the Bubonic plague still a danger in parts of Africa and Asia.

Miss Parker knew nothing of this sim. It was hidden in Raines' office someplace where not even Broots could find it. Besides, now with Jarod in their custody and Miss Parker in an insane asylum, the work of cleanup went on with no trouble.

"How's Lyle coming along with Jarod?" he asked Willie.

"Fine sir. Jarod seems a little less cooperative, but after a few more sessions, his cooperation will be ensued."

"Good. You know what we must do. I am sure my brother will approve."

Ever since the shooting, Mr. Parker had disappeared. There was no trace of a travel itinerary in his office and no trace of where he went. This made Raines annoyed. He had wanted his brother's body on full display in the Centre lobby so everyone knew that the Triumvirate was now in charge.

"Yes sir."

Raines smiled. "Well Jarod will now go to Africa and you know what happens to Pretenders there."

"I believe so, sir but enlighten me."

"Have you heard of the collar and chain method?"

"It reminds me of the tales my grand father told me back about slavery."

"They chain the Pretender by a collar to a post and tell him to do something distasteful. If he doesn't, they beat him."

"Distasteful?"

"Oh eat dog food, kill a man something Jarod would never do. Then they graduate from that to killing a woman and then to a child. If he doesn't obey, they tighten the collar and withhold food. They also beat him. When he obeys, they tell him that he has to kill himself and give him a knife. If he doesn't make a move towards the knife, they beat him again and tighten the collar. Of course a sharp shooter aims for the knife and Jarod will never get a chance to."

Willie smiled. "Very effective."

"Yes, but first we have to wipe out our memory and I don't want to see a valuable employee of the Centre killed. Have you set the charges?"

"In the renewal room, yes, but your brother."

Raines smiled. "I thought of that contingency. Before we left to pursue Jarod, my brother went for his usual checkup. Of course, he still only can produce blanks but I convinced him that with some pills and an injection, his fertility could be ensued."

"But he is weak."

"True, he doesn't have that ruthlessness needed to rule The Centre, so I took precautions. The pills and injection put him under just long enough for the doctor to remove his memory of Walstaff and Jarod2 and replace them with appropriate memories. The doctor is waiting in the Renewal Wing. Oh and have you set the charges?"

"After the treatment is over."

"Good, I don't want to lose a valuable employee."

And so the memory of Walstaff and Jarod2 were removed. The only one who knew anything was Jarod and in a lesser instance, Sydney, Broots, and Miss Parker. However, none of them knew that the boy was not Jarod. And when Jarod escaped and checked the boy on the DSAs he believed he was that boy and yet a small voice started cropping up in his mind.

What if your reflection was a lie?

THE END


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